Child&#39;s toy caddy

ABSTRACT

A child&#39;s toy caddy for use with a conveyance such as a bicycle, tricycle, or scooter, has a pair of handles permitting drop-on attachment to the handlebars of the conveyance, so that a child&#39;s toy such as a doll, teddy bear, raptor or like favoured toy can be strapped into the seat of the caddy, and safely transported by the child while at play with the conveyance. The caddy includes a safety harness with safety belt and shoulder strap, enabling a child to secure its toy to the caddy, with safe transportation for both toy and child upon the conveyance. The caddy handles may be flexible so as to release from the handlebars under undue loading, and are sized to readily accommodate the brake cables of a bicycle. The caddy can be used with other environments such as a fence or seat-back

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0002] Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

[0003] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] 1. This invention is directed to a toy caddy for use by a childin the safe transportation of a child's toy, and in particular to a toycaddy to be used when playing on a scooter or bicycle, for mounting uponthe handlebars of the scooter or bicycle.

[0005] 2. In my earlier invention, U.S. Pat. No.5,921,844, I provided achild's plaything consisting of a wheeled toy that could be trundledalong by a child, the toy having a seat structure in which a soft toysuch as a doll or a teddy bear could be safely strapped.

[0006] This earlier plaything has the limitation that the activeutilization of the seat and associated toy is dependent upon use withthe trundle plaything with which the seat is combined, and with thechild being prepared to trundle the toy along.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention provides a toy caddy for use with aconveyance such as a bicycle, tricycle, or scooter, the caddy having apair of handles permitting drop-on attachment to the handlebars of theconveyance, so that a child's toy such as a doll, teddy bear, raptor orlike favoured toy can be strapped into the seat of the caddy, and safelytransported by the child while at play with the conveyance.

[0008] The toy caddy also teaches safety principles in that it includesa safety harness consisting of a safety belt and a shoulder strap, bymeans of which a child can secure its toy into the toy caddy, fortransportation upon a conveyance with safety for both the toy and forthe child.

[0009] The handles of the caddy may be made with a degree of flexibilitysuch that the imposition of an undue load, such as a child attempting tosit upon the caddy, will result in release of the caddy from off thesupporting handlebars.

[0010] The handles of the caddy are sized to readily accommodate thebrake cables of a bicycle.

[0011] The toy caddy may also be mounted upon a structure such as afence, and in some instances, upon the back of a car seat. Inembodiments having laterally flexible handle portions, the lateralflexibility may greatly facilitate such usage with a car seat.

[0012] It is contemplated that two such handles may be curved together,to provide a single attachment point.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Certain embodiments of the invention are described by way ofillustration, without limitation thereto other than as set forth in theaccompanying claims, reference being made to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

[0014]FIG. 1 a perspective view of a toy caddy in accordance with thepresent invention, mounted upon the handlebars of a scooter;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a side elevation of another embodiment of the subjecttoy caddy, mounted upon the handlebars of a bicycle; and,

[0016]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view from above of the FIG. 2 caddyembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, the toy caddy 10, is shown mounted upon thehandlebars 11 of a scooter 13, of which only the front portion is shown.

[0018] The toy caddy consists of a seat portion 12, having sides 14 anda back 16.

[0019] A pommel 18 projects upwardly from the front-center of the seatportion 12.

[0020] Curved handle portions 19, illustrated with a deep, thin section,support the caddy 10.

[0021] Safety straps 22 secured to one side 14 of the caddy have hookedpads 24 of the Velcro (™) type at their ends. Felt pads 26 located onthe other side 14 of the caddy receive the pads 24 in detachably securedrelation therewith, so that the safety straps 22 form a lap strap and ashoulder strap respectively for a toy (not shown) when seated in thecaddy.

[0022] In the FIGS. 2 and 3 embodiment, a bifurcated mounting boss 30depends beneath the seat portion 12 of the caddy 10′, by way of atapered flange 32.

[0023] In FIG. 3 the boss 30 is shown having a series of spline teeth 34about the inner surface thereof, enabling its use with a splined shaft,as shown in my above referenced patent.

[0024] In FIG. 2, the toy caddy 10′ is mounted upon the handlebars 35 ofa bicycle 37, of which bicycle 37 only a portion is shown. The nearhandlebar has been “cut away”, in order to better show the subject toycaddy 10′ in relation to the brake cables 38.

[0025] In case of use of the toy caddy 10′ with a plain shaft or rod,such as a broomstick, the spline teeth 34 assist in stabilizing thecaddy 10 upon such a supporting shaft, the bifurcation of the boss 30providing a degree of resilience thereto.

[0026] The rearward taper of the flange 32 serves to orient the seatportion 12 in a substantially horizontal position when the supportingshaft is similarly inclined.

[0027] The boss 30 does not normally foul the structure of itsconveyance.

[0028] It will be understood that the lateral stiffness of the caddyhandle portions 19 will depend upon the type of plastic used, and uponthe thickness of the handle section.

[0029] Alternative forms of handle other than substantially planar arecontemplated.

1. A child's toy caddy for the transportation of a child's toy on awheeled conveyance, the toy caddy consisting of a seat, having a backportion and two side portions enclosing the sides and rear of the seat,and at least one handle portion extending rearwardly of the seat backportion to engage a laterally extending portion of a wheeled conveyance,to support the caddy in secured, positioned relation upon theconveyance, and enabling the transportation of said child's toy in theseat.
 2. The toy caddy as set forth in claim 1, including pommel meansto facilitate retention of said toy by said seat.
 3. The toy caddy asset forth in claim 1, including strap means removeably secured acrosssaid seat, to facilitate retention of said toy by said caddy.
 4. The toycaddy as set forth in claim 3, said caddy including hook and eye meansassociated with said strap means, enabling the securement of at leastone strap across said seat in containing relation with said toy.
 5. Thetoy caddy as set forth in claim 1, including a mounting boss forattaching the caddy to an elongated shaft.
 6. The toy caddy as set forthin claim 5, said mounting boss being tapered, for attachment to aninclinable shaft, whereby said toy caddy seat portion may be readilypositioned in a substantially horizontal orientation, to facilitate theretention of a child's toy thereon.
 7. The toy caddy as set forth inclaim 1, having two handle portions extending substantially coplanarwith said caddy side portions, said handle portions being of laterallyflexible construction and having a hook-like profile, to enabledrop-over installation over the handlebars of a conveyance selected fromthe group consisting of tricycles, scooters and bicycles.